Tanjil. You will believe a horse can cry.

By Christi Wales, Accountant and Mother.

For her twelfth birthday, I took my daughter Dana to Judy Oldmeadow’s Morgan Horse Farm.

I never thought it’d be an amazing, life-changing day for me.

We began by bringing all the mares and foals to the round yard to see how they interacted with toys and us. Dana sat in the yard and the foals loved her, perhaps because she’s young too.

Judy and I noticed that one mare, Folie, was overprotective of her foal, Echo. The poor thing wanted to play, but Folie wouldn’t let him. So we joined Dana and I spent some time massaging Folie all over – which she loved. Before long, she let me near Echo and encouraged him to interact with me.

I held out my hand and let Echo toddle past me, just brushing his back to get him used to my touch. I then massaged some of the other mares. With three children myself, I figured they’d like their necks, backs and rumps massaged.

After a while, Folie was so relaxed that Echo was able to break away and play. It was a fantastic sight that I was proud to be part of. I kept massaging the mares, plus any foals that approached.

Then Tanjil decided that no other mare could have me.

I’d rub her and try to move on, but she’d come next to me, right near the other horse. Though she didn’t touch the horse, it knew she was boss and walked away.

At first I thought it was funny. Why did Tanjil want me to herself? She did it again and again with every other horse I tried to rub.

My hands were getting sore and Folie was giving her foal a chance to explore. So I decided to wait to see what happened. Well, little Echo headed in my direction with his mum’s full support – a fantastic breakthrough for both of them.

A bit later, Echo was hanging around so I gave him a rub and Tanjil just stood near me. I found it strange; had I done something wrong? Then Tanjil came and stood with her head right over me.

I started rubbing her neck thinking, ‘Why me? Was I was a strong leader? Did she feel I was a strong mother?’

Being a mother is hard. Sometimes I feel I don’t have the strength. But I find it and keep going. If I don’t, no-one else will do the things I must do to keep my family safe, together and running smoothly.

I don’t get a break from being leader of my herd. At times I hate being the one who has to pull rank, keep everyone in line and be tough to be kind in the long run.

At that moment my emotions overwhelmed me. With her fantastic intuition, Judy yelled out that the last time Tanjil had stood this way with her, it’d made her feel like everything was going to be OK.

I glanced at her and nodded; a huge lump in my throat. Then my tears flowed.

I looked at Tanjil and couldn’t believe what I saw. She was crying with me! Not just watery eyes; these were full tears, rolling down her face, one after another along with mine.

Was I delusional? No. This magnificent mare was helping me with my doubts as a mother. I thought then that maybe she also felt the pressure of being the leader who kept her herd in line.

Tanjil gave me what I never got from my mother. What I needed to know when I became a mother myself: I’m a good mum. It won’t be easy, but it’ll be OK. We can only do our best. We make mistakes, but that’s OK too.

I then thought that maybe Tanjil also needed reassurance that she was a great mum and leader. Because when I saw her with her foal and the herd, it was exactly how I felt.

I’ll never know if she felt my empathy. I’d not seen a miracle before, but that’s the only word I can use.

I have a horse named Major. When Judy took Dana and me to the rest of the herd, Major stayed with me while the other horses went to the car.

He was so affectionate. I was rubbing his body when he moved – uncomfortable with the slope. I thought he was going to walk away but he simply ambled to level ground and waited for me.

I hugged his neck and said I loved him, that he was a good boy and that I wished I could see him every day. As he wrapped his head around me, a tear rolled down his face.

It was very moving. I remembered that Major had lost his mum when very young. Maybe he perceived my feelings of abandonment.

Had I not experienced my miracle with Tanjil, I wouldn’t have thought a horse could cry.

Now I know they feel pain, sadness and love.

Wow, just in time for the Holidays, we have another classic case of pareidolia: this time a woman in Massachusetts claims that she’s seen Jesus… in her clothing iron.

A Massachusetts woman who recently separated from her husband and had her hours cut at work says an image of Jesus Christ she sees on her iron has reassured her that “life is going to be good.”

Mary Jo Coady first noticed the image Sunday when she walked into her daughter’s room.

The brownish residue on the bottom of the iron looks like the face of a man with long hair.

The 44-year-old Coady was raised Catholic. She and her two college-age daughters agree that the image looks like Jesus and is proof that “he’s listening.”

Coady tells The Eagle-Tribune she hopes her story will inspire others during the holidays. She says she plans to keep the iron in a closet and buy a new one.

Umm… yeah.  Pardon me, but… IT’S A STAIN!!! Sorry, I just had to get that out of my system.  Come on folks, is it really any surprise that the person making this “miraculous discovery” (which has all the markings of a modern-day “religious relic” such as the infamous Virgin Mary Grill Cheese Sandwich) is a devout Catholic?  That is the classic marker of pareidolia – our evolution-wired brains are developed for pattern recognition, and one of the most recognized patterns for humans is another human’s face. Throw into the mix a bit of religious fervor (i.e. in this case, devout Catholicism) and viola! you have a “miracle” appearance of Jesus on an iron.

Here’s another interesting bit of pareidolia to get you thinking.  Years ago a man cut into a melon, and he saw this…

So what, if anything, do you see?  If you’re like me, you see some wavy lines which are essentially meaningless.  But if you are a devout Muslim who can read Arabic, you will likely see “Allah” (God) written out in Arabic.  And, before you roll your eyes, there are people who treat this as seriously as our Catholic lady does her Jesus-stained iron.

In conclusion, what this all really teaches us about these kinds of “miraculous events” is this: it’s all in your head, folks, and people who believe strongly enough can find amazing ways to validate those beliefs – even if to the rest of us it’s utter gibberish.

Here I am, travelling on a Lincoln MKS from Jersey City to Carteret, and the chauffer offers me a drink

The thrilling speed and the ambience inside is just mind blowing. But suddenly I am transported back to the line of events that brought me here.

It was a very dull day at college, returning at 4.10 from the institute on a broken rickety rickshaw. One of my friends was along with me, we were chatting when he suddenly says, “Do you know there is a company coming to take summer interns?”

“No”, I said.

“Well there is one called Goldman Sachs, coming next month.”

“What does the company do?”

“No idea”, he said.

That was the first place I heard about it. Called up a few seniors, asked for some help but no one had any idea. Terrible

One month later, notices were put out for the Goldman Sachs interview. I didn’t know about it, so I thought, forget it. Sometimes later TATA and others would come and I would surely get into one of them.

A day before it was suppossed to come, my friends ersuade me to go for it. After all, whats the harm in sitting for it, you can always refuse it. I went to the placement office, but they aren’t ususally helpful, till you are having a good job, so I got no help.

I went back to my room, got out a pair of trousers, and a shirt, as well as a tie. But one thing was missing. No black shoes! The first person who came to my mind was Jay, my NRI buddy there, and one of my best friends. Jay never refused anything, and this time, he gladly allowed me to have his shoes. So on the morning of that day, I got into my formal attire, went to Jay’s room, put on the shoes, and went for it.

Then the usual, PPT, written tests, group discussion, and all. I did not know anything about Goldman Sachs, and perhaps that was a very big advantage. I was not at all stressed, because I THOUGHT that I had nothing to lose. I went to everything very easily, coz the written tests (no coding skills required), and the GD was a cakewalk. However, I went for the interview, and in a moment I knew I had screwed it up.

“CAn I ask you soe questions on Data Structures?” asked Shiv.

“I don’t know.”

“C++?”

“Neither”, I said.

“C?”

“I’m sorry…”

“So do you have any knowledge of coding?”

“Nopes”, I said.

Still the THOUGHT that it was just some other company, and I needn’t worry about it, kept me at ease. I DID have an interview, that went on for 40 mins, and I went on quite casually.

Things happened as usual, I was the least likely one to get through, I knew. Selection procedures continued as usual, and at midnight, they got ready to announce the results. Among the whole group, as it gathered, I just moved a little back, I knew I wasn’t going to be selected. Thats OK. TATA Uncle is there, right? (No!!!)

The first name they announced was mine.

You’re kidding right? Thats not happening!!! I couldn’t comprehend what they said… was it Sudeep or Sudipta? I will never forget that moment when Pant Sir himself called me out to come in front… It was like a dream.

The next thing I remember was my flight to Bangalore, in the summer of 2008. 2 montths, the most awesome days days in my life. Working hard, partying harder. Like BEEN THERE, DONE THAT! It was only then that I realised the heavy weight that Goldman Sachs was in the industry, everywhre we went with our ID card, people greetd us with awe. But perhaps, our idea of Goldman Sachs, was to come even later. Worked on four projects (the only one to do so), and played lots of foosball. And everyone wondered, how I did so much in so little time. A company that can dig into your hidden skills (in my case I never knew I had any), what more can you want?

Came back to college, and terrible days waiting for the offer. WE (read Rahul and I) used to sit for hours outside the TP office, and come back sad. LnT came for placements, I made it through. Still I was sad. After working at GS, you cannot work at any of those indian companies. The culture is so different.

The offer came, and a lot of things changed. I used to get a lot of honour from the TP office, but the Department hated me. One of our profs said “GOLDMINE SACKS”, does it carry Gold from mines in sacks? If any profasked me where I had got placed, I would have to say LnT. Else they would fail me in the labs.

September 2008. The worst days of my life. The finance market was crumpling in the US. First Bear Stearns, then Fannie Mac, Freedie Mae, Lehman Brothers, Wachovia, almost every company was disappering. Citibank’s shares were cheaper than a bottle of mineral water. Everyone said, the next to go will be morgan Stanley, and/or Goldman Sachs.

I thought our days of glory were numbered. Every sudden fall in the share prices of GS caused our heart to skip a beat. If anything we thought of was that, would GS be there tomorrow?

All of them vanished away, even Morgan Staney changed its business model. But Goldman Sachs stayed. Even bigger, even bolder. First as a Bank Holding Company, now as a Financial Holding Company.

Summer of 2009. The first flight from Calcutta to Bangalore, then Bangalore to New York. To a place I have always dreamt of, but never thought that I would be there so soon. In the world’s most powerful company. Staying at the best places. Travelling in the best cars, and being a part of a team, whose presence at every point in the firm, ensures that the firm continues to breathe and its heart continues to beat.

I’ve been using nano technology products for a couple of years now.
Before, it was cream – To balance the hormone. Few months back, I found facial cleanser and toner.

The all-plant cream works miracle on me and to those are are using it – When our hormone is well balanced, we’re definitely in better health and highly-spirited.
Though the cream is to be rub only on the nerves, it works wonder for the whole body system – From head to toe.

For my migrane to come back, it takes a very, very long time – extreme hot weather or when I’m too hungry.
For face-lift – That’s what those who look after their beauty, will swear by it.
For me, being healthy is far great importance than the outer look (inner feelings will overshadow our outlook).

Other than that, the price is another issue that needs to be looked into (especially when converting to Malaysian RM).
The goodness to be true are just too many to be listed. Yes, true. It’s beneficial to the whole body system – in and out.

The nano facial cleanser and toner, I found by chance at “Giant Supermarket’. I was desperately looking for those items then, as they were none at home. Eventually, I’ll switch back to my ‘nature-made’ soap.

I hope there’s no undesirable effect on me, till the very end.

Spiritual Blindness is a curse reaped by one who has sown disobedience to the voice of the LORD:

Deuteronomy 28:15, 28-29 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee…The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart: and thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.

Zephaniah 1:17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.

Isaiah 56:10-11 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

Isaiah 59:1-2 Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Isaiah 59:9-12 Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men. We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them.

Repentance–turning from sin–is necessary before God will restore spiritual sight:

Isaiah 59:20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

Isaiah 42:6-7, 16 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house…And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

Isaiah 29:18-19 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

To the meek, the poor in spirit, those who turn from transgression:

Isaiah 35:1-10 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Jeremiah 31:8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.

Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Jesus healed many physically blind people:

Matthew 9:27-28 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.

Matthew 12:22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

Matthew 15:30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them:

John 9:25 He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.

Jesus testified to John the Baptist:

Matthew 11:5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Jesus’ physical miracles pointed to His ability to heal and restore the soul.

Lazarus was not raised from the dead simply to live 40 more years on this earth, but to demonstrate that Jesus IS the Resurrection and the Life (able to give spiritual life).  Likewise in Luke 5, the paralytic was raised physically in order to show what Jesus could do for a man spiritually:

Luke 5:23-25 [Jesus speaking] Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

When we recognize we are spiritually lame, blind, dumb and maimed, let’s cast ourselves at Jesus’ feet!

Matthew 20:30-31, 33-34 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David…They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

CRY OUT TO JESUS—HAVE MERCY ON US, LORD!! He will have compassion on us and heal our eyes too.

What about those who do not recognize their blindness, and refuse to repent? Jesus said of the Pharisees:

Matthew 23:5-7 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

Matthew 23:11-13 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.  (God resists the proud,But gives grace to the humble JAMES 4:6) But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

1. Matthew 23:16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
2. Matthew 23:17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
3. Matthew 23:19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
4. Matthew 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
5. Matthew 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

JESUS SAID OF THESE MEN, WHO EXALTED THEMSELVES AND THOUGHT THEY KNEW SO MUCH, THAT THEY WERE BLIND—5 TIMES!

Luke 6:39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?  WALK BY THE LIGHT—JESUS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD—THY WORD IS A LAMP UNTO MY FEET—JESUS IS THE TRUE LIGHT THAT GIVES LIGHT TO EVERY MAN, JOHN 1:9

John 9:39-41 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

John 12:35-36 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

WARNING!!! IF YOU DON’T WALK IN THE LIGHT AND BELIEVE IN THE LIGHT WHILE THE LIGHT IS WITH YOU, DARKNESS WILL COME UPON YOU!!! YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN BLINDNESS!

John 12:37-40 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: that the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

John 12:44-46 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. (spiritual sight) I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. (spiritual blindness)

Paul, speaking of the Jews who rejected Jesus the Messiah:

2 Corinthians 3:14-15 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

The veil/blindness is done away in Christ! Those who come to Him will be healed of their blindness.

Isaiah 25:7 And He will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations.

Satan blinds the minds of the lost (but we are still responsible for our blindness.)

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Romans 1:21-24 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS) Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (THOSE WHO EXALT THEMSELVES WILL BE ABASED) And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

After being saved and having our eyes opened, we can return to blindness!

Ephesians 4:17-19 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Jesus and Peter (among others) taught that a previously healed person could return to an even worse condition through SIN:

John 5:14 See, you have been made well [physical healing]. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.

2 Peter 2:20-22 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ [spiritual healing], they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Peter and John admonished Christians as to what they should do so they would not return to blindness:

2 Peter 1:1, 5-10 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ…And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. [UNFRUITFUL = BLIND] Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.

1 John 2:10-11 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

Loving our brother will include keeping God’s commands:

1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

Jesus Christ, speaking to the church of Laodicea concerning their blindness:

Revelation 3:15-19 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

According to Jesus, if we–after being saved–pass into a state of spiritual blindness, we can be restored through repentance!  Jesus will give us “eyesalve” for our blind eyes, if we admit our blindness and our need for His healing.

Psalms 146:8-9 The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: the LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.

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I am sure that some of you may already know this, but the story that I am about to tell you is amazing every time I think of it!

A few months ago  a church that is down the block from our church had to close its doors. I am sure that it was sad for the congregation that had met there for 146 years. They had one last service and locked up the doors. A few weeks before that happened the churches leadership came to us and told us that they would be selling the building and that they wanted us to have first bid if we wanted it.

Our church is not a large church by any means, but we are out growing the space that we have now, so for this to come up was  really cool. Before we could put an offer in there were a few things that the other church had to do… things like get it appraised, and all kinds of legal things.

They came back to us and told us what they were going to put it on the market for. It was appraised at over 1 million dollars! They wanted $350 thousand. The building is basically in perfect shape. There has been many upgrades in the past several years and is basically move in ready. The building also includes a small school with a lot of classrooms.

We looked at our finances, prayed, fasted and came up with our offer. Without being insulting to the other church we offered $150 thousand. Needless to say they rejected our offer.

A little more than a week ago the church came back to us… they accepted our offer! We were able to buy a new building, more than double our space and remain debt free!

It’s a miracle… spread the word! I will write more later!

Funny
Comon, victimless “crime”; Jebu$ is fake

First or second, literal or figurative. Birth is the only miracle that can be accomplished by human beings.

Miracle Coyote Survives Hit And Run

Meet the wiliest of all coyotes: Hit by a car at 75mph, embedded in the fender, went for 600 miles – and SURVIVED!

When a brother and sister struck a coyote at 75mph they assumed they had killed the animal and drove on.

They didn’t realize this was the toughest creature ever to survive a hit-and-run.

Eight hours, two fuel stops, and 600 miles later they found the wild animal embedded in their front fender – and very much alive.

The coyote was still alive after 600 miles

Daniel and Tevyn East were driving at night along Interstate 80 near the Nevada-Utah border when they noticed a pack of coyotes near the roadside on October 12.

When one of the animals ran in front of the car, the impact sounded fatal so the siblings thought there no point in stopping.

‘Right off the bat, we knew it was bad,’ Daniel explained. ‘We thought the story was over.’

After the incident around 1am, they continued their 600 mile drive to North San Juan – even stopping for fuel at least twice.

But it was only when they finally reached their destination at 9am did they take time to examine what damage they may have sustained.

Fur Pete's sake - this coyote is stuck in the car's bumper

At first it looked as though it was going to be quite gruesome.

‘[Daniel] saw fur and the body inside the grill,’ Tevyn East said. ‘I was trying to keep some distance. Our assumption was it was part of the coyote – it didn’t register it was the whole animal.’

Daniel East got a broom to try and pry the remains out of the bumper and got the shock of his life.

‘It flinched,’ Tevyn East said. ‘It was a huge surprise – he got a little freaked out..’

‘We knew it was bad’: Tevyn East, who was in the car when it hit the coyote, bends down to take a look at the fur poking through the fender.

Rescuers arrived and took the car apart…

The coyote's head can be seen as rescuers took apart the fender to save it.

As the animal struggled, wildlife protection officials put a loop around its neck to prevent it from further injuring itself…

The coyote struggles to dislodge itself from the car

The coyote rests in a cage after its ordeal. The only injuries were scrapes to its paw. It was released back where it first came from.

It's a miracle this coyote did not die, or even sustain serious injuries. Trickster.

I just thought that I would share a really great video of a little boy.  If you are a fan of the movie “Miracle” like I am then you will love what this little boy does.  I don’t know if it is powerful as the way Herb brooks delivered it but this little boy is to awesome.  Just enjoy.

]]> http://seriallysingle.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/giddy/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:14:38 +0000 weaverwrite http://seriallysingle.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/giddy/

So… the girl from the blind date read my last blog (I gave it to my friend and she passed it along). Only problem is that it made her feel kind of bad and me look like I was desperately impatient. And now that I re-read it from her perspective, I feel bad! Cause I can totally see her point.

Sure, I started off with the “Oh me! Oh my! How lame, oh lame, am I?” crap, but at the end it could easily be interpreted like I was putting it all on her by saying she now had my contact info but hadn’t contacted me! Like that’s fair! I’m the lame one that didn’t talk to her on our date! And, of course, that wasn’t what I meant (famous last words)! The part about her not contacting me yet was there for dramatic affect. Anyone that knows me knows I do that!

Oh, but wait, she doesn’t know me! I didn’t talk to her! How could she know that?

You know, sometimes, I can be really stupid!

But, there is a silver lining! We do still have the second date planned. It looks like it will be sooner then I originally thought (YAY!). And, best of all, she’s still looking forward to it! (thus the title of this post)

So, blind date girl (no I’m not giving you guys her name), if you happen to read this, please understand that while I may be an idiot at times, I’m usually a well-intentioned idiot. And, that I’m sorry for not talking to you in the first place. I promise, I totally plan on talking to you on our next date! In fact, I stopped on my way home tonight and bought some Miracle Grow (I checked, it says it works on nuts) just to make sure!

Still single… but hoping!

Scott

Oh, and just to clarify, this is not desperately impatient. This is anxious and excited.

OK… I really have to shut-up now!

Coma Recovery Story

This story is about a man who was thought to be in a vegetative state and, after 20+ years, has come out and is able to communicate by guiding a speech therapist’s hand across a keyboard. What is also fascinating is the under-story here. Modern science seems to be in disagreement with itself. On the one hand, it was a modern form of a brain scan that revealed that this man was actually in a coma and not in a permanent vegetative state. They think for a good while he was actually conscious inside of a totally paralyzed body. Miracle? Well, the counterpoint is that modern science also says this is not possible and they are doing “guided communication”  with this patient.

I find this a bit intriguing that many in science are okay with science as long as it stays out of the miracle business. Or, at least if it does venture into miracles, it better be able to explain exactly how they happened. I wonder if this is not God demonstrating that science begins not with us as advanced humanity but with, dare I say it, with God. What if this was a miracle? Do we believe it? I’m guessing we don’t-it’s much easier to write God off then actually stop and try to unpack the depth of such a thing. Thoughts? Comments?

**as a side note I want to ask for prayer for the family and friends of Rev. Joe Roberson. He was tragically killed Saturday night in a car accident. He was a husband and father of 4. He was a leader and mentor. He was my mentor and my very good friend. I will be posting soon on some thoughts and feelings of losing someone close to you-I’m just not ready to do so yet.**

I just finished a continuing medical education course on wound healing and hyperbaric oxygen therapy in Columbus, Ohio.

It was an intense week listening to many presentations and case studies. I heard many miraculous cases from our instructors, particularly regarding hyperbaric oxygen or HBO. This therapy consisted of pressurizing a patient in an oxygen chamber, so that very high amounts of pure oxygen could be given. It was considered safe and effective. The results were amazing.

One young girl had severed her ears after an assault. It seemed like such a horrible injury, I wondered how possibly she could be treated. A team of doctors including plastic surgeons and wound healing specialists using HBO worked very intensely to save her ears. It was fantastic to hear at the end of three weeks she recovered with a very good cosmetic result.

Another young lady lost both her legs below the knees from an accident. She wasn’t healing well because of her depressed condition. She endured many weeks of wound treatment including including HBO. Slowly, she improved and her wounds healed so she could be fitted with artificial limbs. Our teacher held back tears as she told how the patient returned to the wound center, rose out of her wheelchair and walked easily for her care team to see. She had persevered and chose to live in the best way she could.

Another doctor told us about a few patients with diabetes who were cured from their disease with an experimental procedure that used stem cells and HBO. I was amazed to hear their pancreatic function recovered and they no longer needed to inject insulin because of the disease. It was just incredible.

I felt lucky to have received such important training. I’m looking forward to improving lives with hyperbaric oxygen and other wound care techniques!

RW

Miracle Blanket Gift Set – Pink with Happiest Baby On The Block CD Review

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• Earned the “thumbs up” from the Good Housekeeping Institute
• Made with the highest quality materials available and is stitched with great attention to detail
• Helps reduce SIDS concerns and clinical studies prove that proper swaddling can often eliminate colic symptoms
• Easy to use and keeps baby snug
• Pediatrician recommended

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Miracle Blanket: At last, the perfect swaddle made easy! Miracle Blanket earned the “thumbs up” from the Good Housekeeping Institute. Uses no velcro, zippers or other confusing adjustments that can scratch baby and one size fits all. New research shows the benefits of swaddling to calm baby and help ensure longer sleep, but the Miracle Blanket makes it easy. It truly is amazing. The Miracle Blanket is made of the highest quality (and cozy) materials available and is stitched with great attention to detail. The Miracle Blanket helps baby sleep on his back to reduce SIDS concerns and clinical studies prove that proper swaddling can often eliminate colic symptoms. Yet most blankets do not provide for a secure swaddle and baby often manages to squirm loose. The Miracle Blanket is easy to use and keeps baby snug. Pediatrician recommended. What are parents saying? “I love this blanket! It has saved me countless hours of sleep and crying. Happiest Baby On The Block: Harvey Karp, M.D., has appeared on Good Morning America, ABC News’ “World News Tonight,” CNN, and a number of national radio programs. In addition, his work has been featured in the LA Times, People Magazine, USA Today and dozens of newspapers across the country as well as being mentioned in Time, Newsweek, Parenting and many other national magazines. Dr. Karp was trained by some of America’s top pediatricians, including Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, and in 1981, he received the prestigious Ehrmann Fellowship to study crying and colic. An assistant professor of pediatrics at UCLA School of Medicine, with a private practice in Santa Monica, California, Dr. Karp is also a nationally renowned expert on children’s health and the environment, and an authority on breastfeeding. Product Description Five white noise sounds used to sooth babies

Miracle Blanket Gift Set – Pink with Happiest Baby On The Block CD Specifications

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I get nauseous around this time of year because it’s this ’holiday season’ when a lot of judgement and coercion occurs around human tradition.  I have been scorned and labeled as a Scrooge because of my views towards Christmas.  But I base my views purely on what I read in the Bible, and this passage is a good example. 

We don’t have to celebrate anything that is manmade.  We particularly don’t have to celebrate a fictitious character whom we lie about to our children as the one who brings gifts and makes all of our wishes come true.  Isn’t that setting up Santa Claus as a quasi-god?  We call this time of year ‘magical.’  Isn’t magic condemned in the Bible?  Isn’t lying condemned?  I don’t get why we want to hang on to this or why we as Christians think that dabbling in this is okay.  We continue to allow our children to believe this at a young age, we rebuke those who tell them the truth, and if we don’t have children, we play along…as agents of support no less. 

I hate it all.  I hate that people spend their last dollar getting Christmas decorations and gifts because if they don’t, someone is going to judge them or think that they’re not doing something up to par.  I spoke with a guy a couple of weeks ago who had just gotten layed off.  His skill set was very specialized and many, many others in his field were getting layed off because the type of work he does is just cut back on during recessions.  He has little hope for getting a job in his field for a long time.  So, you would think that he’d start budgeting and stop spending to ride out the recession, right?  No, Christmas is around the corner and he, he said, is not going to cut back on Christmas!  He said it as if it might be a terrible sin!  I wonder about all those people last year around this time that got layed off (and are still out of a job) – if they’d have made a different decision about Christmas 2008 after having still been unemployed a year later?  Did they ’splurge’ on Christmas, too, thinking that it was a miraculous time of year and that they didn’t want their children to NOT believe in miracles? 

Ugh!  I want to scream!  A Christmas miracle?!  If anyone speaks that term to me I swear I’ll throw their Christmas tree at them.  I wonder what our Lord thinks of this.  I’m sure Satan is pleasantly pleased at his work.  He picked a holiday to warp our beliefs.  Beautiful.  It’s actually very smart.  I dare you to go find a Christian – or anyone in this country – who will condemn Christmas.  It’s heresy!  Oh, what a wonderful weave he has mastered, and we’ve all been surreptitiously fooled into believing that Christmas will bring us all that we’ve dreamed for, all that will care for us, all that we hope for, and will miraculously heal all woes of the world.  Hurray!  We can all be comforted because Christmas will unite us all! 

Whatever.

Enjoy a truthful word that might comfort you if you’ve been sucked into the guilt of buying a lot of Christmas presents or feel guilty because you can’t afford it this year.  There’s hope for you…hope without guilt!

Colossians 2

 ¹I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. ²My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, ³in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. ⁵For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

 ⁶So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, ⁷rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

 ⁸See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

 ⁹For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. ¹¹In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature,^[a] not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, ¹²having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

 ¹³When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature,^[b] God made you^[c] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.^[d]

 ¹⁶Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. ¹⁸Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. ¹⁹He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

 ²⁰Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: ²¹“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ²²These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. ²³Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.